Sharpening Up Your Knife Knowledge

by James LuptonDecember 11, 2017

When you enter any kitchen and you will be sure to find a knife. Or two. Or, depending on the skill level of the cooks involved, you might even find a few different kinds of knives to specialize in different tasks. You may find yourself asking lots of questions: what are they all for? How do you sharpen them? Aren’t sharp knives like that hazardous? Isn’t expensive to take them to a professional and have them sharpened all the time?

At Sharp Pebble, we love knives (no surprise there!). But more than that, we love helping other people - like you – love knives just as much as we do. Part of that passion is educating the people on knives, important knife maintenance tools, and dispelling any myths you may have heard about sharpening knives, owning knives, and using knives. Here’s what we want you to know:

Sharp Knives Aren’t Dangerous

You may be nervous to sharpen your knife because you are worried that a sharp knife is more hazardous to use and that you may get cut more easily. However, blunt knives are often to blame for cuts. Here’s why: when you have a sharp knife, it grips quickly and efficiently into the item you are cutting and then glides through with little effort. A blunt knife, however, slips more easily off of the item you are cutting and ends up on your fingers instead. Sharp knives allow you more control and better handling, and this results in fewer kitchen accidents.

You May Need Different Types of Knives

You may think it seems a bit excessive when you see knives for filleting and chopping, paring and butchering. But the truth is, that different knives are created for different purposes and if you want the optimal quality product resulting on the other end, you need to use the right knife for preparing your food. Filleting knives, for example, have a fine, sharp point to allow you to be very precise in where you want to cut, while serrated knives, used for things like bread, prevent the knife from simply ripping the bread instead of cutting it.

You Don’t Need to Have Your Knives Sharpened by a Professional

In fact, with the right tools, you can easily sharpen your own knives at home. Not only does this make it more convenient, but it also ensures that your knives always stay sharp because you have the tools at your fingertips to put your knife to the stone any time it needs it.

Really, we think you can sharpen your knives at home just as well, and that’s why we’re providing you with the tools to do it. We have several grades of whetstone, as well as complete instructions on how to complete the whole sharpening process yourself, from the comfort of your own home.